The sad thing was they really were just harvesting humans. The aliens who had arrived in the skies over Earth did not want to talk. They did not want to exchange ambassadors, or discuss Art, Science, or Religion. They did not want to know us as people or as a race. They simply wanted to consume us. That was the joke - reality had become a bad Science Fiction flick.

"And may our heavenly Father forgive us our sins," Father Adams said as he sprinkled holy water on the Marines kneeling before him, "and grant us eternal life, amen." The dozen or so hardened soldiers kneeling before the priest all repeated: Amen. Captain Villa Nueva, who had given up praying a long time ago, remained silent.

The men, all volunteers and representing a half dozen or so nations, slowly got to their feet and turned to face their commanding officer. A few swayed unsteadily as beads of perspiration ran down their faces. They were starting to feel it. Villa Nueva looked at the priest. "All done, Padre?" Adams nodded his head but didn't speak. He still opposed the United Nation's resolution.

Villa Nueva addressed his troops. "Right, you know the drill. The aliens are like hungry bears. If they sniff out a log full of grubs, they'll grab the entire thing and rip into it so they can feed. We've seen them do it to almost every tall structure on the planet. So far, they haven't gone after the refugees in sewer tunnels, subways, and undergrounds. But we can't count on that. Harvesting from buildings may be easier but eventually they'll figure out that we'll stay out of the buildings. Then, they'll have no choice but to come after us in the tunnels. That's why it has to end here." The assembled men and women all nodded their heads. Of course they would, they were heroes.

"Couldn't we try talking to them again?" Adams blurted out. "Surely, they just haven't realized that we're intelligent."

Villa Nueva scowled. "Oh, they know, when they exploded electric magnetic pulses all over the planet to destroy 97% of the electronic components in our computers, communications, and transportation systems, they told us they knew all about us. They knew exactly how to cripple us and that means they took the time to study us. Say what you want, Padre, but they don't care that we're intelligent." Suddenly, the building they were hiding in shook. The movement was so great that several members of his team were thrown off their feet.

"Captain," the Corporal watching the monitors called out, "an alien saucer has materialized out of the south. It's already extended its tentacles."

Villa Nueva swore. "Thank you Corporal but I think we guessed that!"

Now the building rocked at a forty-five degree angle and everyone was thrown to the floor. Luckily, the area they were occupying had been cleared of all furrniture and they'd secured themselves to the walls and floors with climbing harnesses. Windows exploded as the structure was lifted off the ground. There was a scream and Villa Nueva turned to spot one of his men dangling limply in his harness. The shards of glass from a window had raked across the man's body and sliced open his throat. Blood was gushing from the man's severed jugular.

"I've got him!" Adams cried over the howling wind. The building was being lifted straight into the sky. They'd grabbed the rotting log.

"As you were, Padre!" Villa Nueva ordered him. "Leave him be!"

Adams stared at him with horror. "B-But he's still alive!"

Villa Nueava ignored the man. Why did the priest come? What did he expect would happen? Villa Nueva turned to his Marines. "Prepare for battle. The aliens will enter the building as soon as we've gone high enough. They prefer a thinner atmosphere. Don't like all that rich oxygen." His men laughed at his joke. "That means you need to have your breathing gear on at all times. That means limited communications. So here are your orders -- die well. Take as many of them out as you can. Show them there's a price to be paid and that their meals can bite back!" The men cheered.

Villa Nueva pulled on his breathing mask and checked the flow regulator. Sweet cool oxygen flowed into his nostrils. Villa Nueva then shifted his machine gun into position and thumbed off the safety. It was a modified M16. Instead of an ammo clip it was outfitted with an ammo belt. He had 10,000 rounds in a box by his feet. He, and everyone on this mission, would do a lot of damage before they went out.

Villa Nueva looked out a busted window. "Son of a -- " Off in the distance, he could see the Eiffel Tower in the clutches of another saucer. The French were sacrificing one of their most prized remaining structures just to make sure the aliens took the bait. "Now that's giving it your all." There was a crashing sound that didn't sound like breaking glass. Villa Nueava turned to spot a green bulbous figure launching itself through a gap in the wall. It landed with athletic ease in the center of the room. Its massive head immediately began to swivel as it could smell the dead soldier's blood.

"That's it," Villa Nueva mumbled, "take a good look at the menu." One of the Marines opened up on the creature with his machine gun and the monstrosity exploded into a puddle of green slime.

"NO!" Shouted Adams. "We must try to communicate with them first!"

At that instant, dozens of crashes could be heard all around them. "Smart," Villa Nueva thought. "Test the situation with a single soldier and then attack from all sides." The newly arriving aliens all slavered for their meals.

That's when Adams unhooked his harness and let himself fall into the clutches of the nearest alien. "You must listen to me," he shouted as the startled creature picked him up with a tentacle. "We mean you no harm. We're intelligent like you. Surely a space faring race can appreciate that intelligent life is so rare in the universe. We have an incredible opportunity here to --" The creature tore off the good padre's head.

"So much for diplomacy," Villa Nueva said sourly. He never liked the priest but he had to respect the man's bravery. To go through all of this just to try to communicate; in his own right, the priest was a hero too.

The alien extended a feeler and began to suck out the padre's blood. Villa Nueva opened up with his machine gun and terminated the creature. He would have like to have let it live. Let it be the first to bring destruction on its kind but Villa Nueva couldn't let the priest's murder go unanswered. Blood for blood. That was the whole point wasn't it? The things could digest human blood. That meant we shared a certain physiology, a certain weakness. It took the scientists months to develop a Super H.I.V. strain - one that could be ingested, one that would manifest itself in days and not years. AIDS was going to save the human race.

All over the planet human beings were fighting a valiant, but pointless, battle just to make sure they were eaten. Like Villa Nueva they were all dying of a disease that attacked their immune systems. A disease they were now delivering to the aliens. Villa Nueva watched as several of the aliens jumped on the corpse of their dead comrade and began sucking it dry. These things just couldn't get any more disgusting. He began firing his weapon at them.

All around him the other Marines were doing the same. They'd keep it up till they ran out of ammo then they'd switch to bayonets. They had to make it look good. They wanted the aliens good and hungry.

It wasn't the prettiest solution but it was the best. Villa Nueva grinned through the growing haze of bluish smoke. H.G. Wells would have been proud. Somebody had actually read his book.

-End-